promise

promise
promise
A n
1 (undertaking) promesse f ; to make a promise to sb faire une promesse à qn ; to break/keep one's promise manquer à/tenir sa promesse ; they held him to his promise ils lui ont fait tenir sa promesse ; under a promise of secrecy sous la promesse du secret ; ‘I'll come next time!’-‘is that a promise?’ ‘je viendrai la prochaine fois!’-‘c'est promis?’ ;
2 ¢ (hope, prospect) espoir m ; there seems little promise of peace il semble qu'il y ait peu d'espoir de paix ; her early life held little promise of her future happiness sa jeunesse ne laissait pas présager de son bonheur futur ; full of Eastern promise plein des charmes de l'Orient ;
3 ¢ (likelihood of success) she shows great promise elle promet beaucoup ; a young writer of promise un jeune écrivain qui promet.
B vtr
1 (pledge) to promise sb sth promettre qch à qn ; to promise to do promettre de faire ; she promised me (that) she would come elle m'a promis qu'elle viendrait ; they promised him their support/to do ils lui ont promis leur soutien/de faire ; I can't promise anything je ne peux rien promettre ; as promised comme promis ;
2 (give prospect of) annoncer, promettre ; the clouds promised rain les nuages annonçaient de la pluie ; it promises to be a fine day la journée s'annonce belle ;
3 (assure) assurer ; it won't be easy, I promise you cela ne sera pas facile, je te l'assure ;
4 ‡to be promised in marriage to sb être promis en mariage à qn.
C vi
1 (give pledge) promettre ; do you promise? c'est promis? ; I promise je le promets ; but you promised! mais tu avais promis! ;
2 fig to promise well [young talent, candidate] être très prometteur ; [result, situation, event] s'annoncer bien ; this doesn't promise well for the future cela ne présage rien de bon pour le futur.
D v refl to promise oneself sth se promettre qch ; to promise oneself to do se promettre de faire.
Idiom
to promise sb the earth promettre la lune à qn.

Big English-French dictionary. 2003.

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  • promise — prom·ise n: a declaration or manifestation esp. in a contract of an intention to act or refrain from acting in a specified way that gives the party to whom it is made a right to expect its fulfillment aleatory promise: a promise (as to compensate …   Law dictionary

  • Promise — Prom ise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Promised}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Promising}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage; as, to promise a visit; to promise a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Promise — Prom ise, a. [F. promesse, L. promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to send. See {Mission}. ] [1913 Webster] 1. In general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • promise — vb Promise, engage, pledge, plight, covenant, contract are comparable when they mean to give one s word that one will act in a specified way (as by doing, making, giving, or accepting) in respect to something stipulated. Promise implies a giving… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • promise — [n1] one’s word that something will be done affiance, affirmation, agreement, asseveration, assurance, avowal, betrothal, bond, commitment, compact, consent, contract, covenant, earnest, engagement, espousal, guarantee, insurance, marriage, oath …   New thesaurus

  • promise — ► NOUN 1) an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen. 2) potential excellence. ► VERB 1) make a promise. 2) give good grounds for expecting. 3) (promise oneself) firmly intend …   English terms dictionary

  • promise — [präm′is] n. [ME promis < L promissum < promittere, to send before or forward < pro , forth + mittere, to send: see PRO 2 & MISSION] 1. an oral or written agreement to do or not to do something; vow 2. indication, as of a successful… …   English World dictionary

  • Promise — Prom ise, v. i. [1913 Webster] 1. To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration. [1913 Webster] 2. To afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil. [1913 Webster] Will not the ladies… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Promise — steht für: ein Album der englischen Gruppe Sade, siehe Promise (Album) ein Album des US Amerikaners Bruce Springsteen, siehe The Promise einen Fachbegriff aus der Informatik, siehe Future (Programmierung) Diese Seite ist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • promise — (n.) c.1400, from L. promissum a promise, noun use of neuter pp. of promittere send forth, foretell, promise, from pro before (see PRO (Cf. pro )) + mittere to put, send (see MISSION (Cf. mission)). Ground sense is declaration made about the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • promise — A declaration which binds the person who makes it, either in honor, conscience, or law, to do or forbear a certain specific act, and which gives to the person to whom made a right to expect or claim the performance of some particular thing. A… …   Black's law dictionary

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